The reception styling complemented the surroundings of Centennial Park perfectly.
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
We both grew up in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs, so the beach has always been a big part of our lives. We love the ocean and swim most days, no matter the weather. We’ve also always shared a love of travel and eventually moved to London together. We spent a few years there making the most of Europe, squeezing in as many trips as possible, sharing many adventures and meeting incredible people along the way.
While we loved living in the UK, Sydney always felt like home, and we knew we wanted to come back to get married and start this next chapter surrounded by our family and closest friends.
We’re also huge food lovers and spend a lot of time cooking at home, trying new recipes, and finding new restaurants or wine bars to try. We’re always looking for somewhere new and rarely go to the same place twice.
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
We met when we were 15 at the Coogee Surf Club, where all our friends used to hang out. We clicked straight away, spending hours talking on the phone after school and quickly becoming best friends.
What styling and visual elements worked best for you? (could be things, the florals, particular hire products or your marquee, etc., something the stylist created or simply just the scenic beauty of your location or the existing design of your venue).
Brooke from State Of did an incredible job leaning into the natural beauty of the church for our ceremony, while also making sure the reception styling complemented the surroundings of Centennial Park perfectly. Ash from The Naked Florist also brought our vision to life beautifully, using lots of greenery and foliage alongside stunning florals to create something that felt natural but still fun and interesting.
What did you enjoy most about the planning process, and do you have any tips for couples starting their wedding planning journey?
The process really felt like a joint project, and it was fun to brainstorm ideas together and plan the ultimate party. Our greatest tip would be to not overthink it – if you have all your favourite people in one place, then you can’t really go too wrong!
Tell us about your vendors. Were there any standout suppliers you would like to make special mention of?
We genuinely couldn’t have asked for a better group of vendors and would recommend every single one of them. A special mention has to go to The State Of, who handled both coordination and styling — Brooke thought of absolutely everything and made sure the entire day ran seamlessly. The Naked Florist created the most incredible florals that completely exceeded our expectations, and Soulganic, who performed throughout the ceremony and reception, brought such an amazing atmosphere to the day and made it all feel incredibly special.
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, and is there a story?
Laurice – I loved wedding dress shopping, and after a few appointments, I knew exactly what I wanted and decided to go down the custom route to create it. I really wanted something modern, with a bit of edge, but still timeless, and Lilian understood the brief exactly. Lilian had amazing ideas for the dress, and I really loved working with her on it.
Michael – My suit was custom made at P Johnson, who were unreal to work with and fit me perfectly. Chris at P Johnson was especially helpful. I loved all the finishes and had a lot of fun working with them.
Tell us about your wedding and engagement rings.
Michael – For Laurice’s engagement ring, I first chose the diamond before even thinking about the style. I loved the process of learning about the right diamond and how every stone has its own features and flaws. I decided on a 4-piece claw with an oval diamond and a hidden diamond halo underneath. For my own wedding band, I never wanted a plain wedding band and always wanted something a bit different. I chose the Amos ring from Natalie Marie, which resembles almost a flat signet ring, still timeless but a bit different from the usual band.
Laurice – I had absolutely no idea that Michael was proposing, so the ring was a complete surprise, but I love it and couldn’t have picked better myself!
It was so hard to find a wedding band I liked because I really didn’t want to detract from my engagement ring, but I ended up with a simple gold band with little diamonds dotted through.
What were one or two elements that were most important to you both that you were happy to spend a little more on? (food, photography, florals, the venue, your outfits?).
Photography and videography were super important to us – we opted for the longest packages we could get because we really wanted the full day captured and didn’t just want to look back on footage of ourselves but also all our closest friends and family who shared the day with us. Pat, our photographer, and Marcus, our videographer, made us feel super comfortable on the day, and we couldn’t be happier with how our photos turned out.
Was there a favourite moment (or two) that you will treasure always?
One of our favourite moments was the time we spent together straight after the ceremony. We slipped away for photos, just the two of us, and had a chance to finally catch up on everything that had happened that morning and the night before. Driving between locations, sharing stories and taking it all in together gave us a rare hour of calm amidst the excitement of the day
Another moment would have to be at the reception. Laurice’s brother was our MC, and before the wedding we had carefully curated the perfect run sheet together. However, just as the entrées were being served, an impromptu dance floor broke out.
Laurice has a Lebanese background, and many of our guests had never experienced a Lebanese wedding before, but really loved the energy of the music and live drumming. This spontaneous moment, where guests left their entrees and flooded the dance floor, was a really fun and memorable part of the evening, and a reminder that sometimes the best moments are the ones you never plan for.
What does being married mean to you, and are there any special rituals you have that you would like to share?
Being married means sharing life with your best friend — not just the big milestones, but all the ordinary moments in between. We were incredibly lucky to have such a special wedding day, but we know the real joy comes from building a life together, knowing that no matter what kind of day we’ve had, we get to come home to each other and be each other’s safe place.
One small ritual we have is that we never end a phone call or part ways without saying “I love you.” It’s a simple habit, but it’s a constant reminder of what matters most to us.
CEREMONY LOCATION Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church, Randwick, Sydney RECEPTION LOCATION Centennial Homestead, Centennial Park, Sydney, @thecentennialhomestead BRIDE Laurice, @lauricesassine GROOM Michael, @michaelhay01 PHOTOGRAPHER Patrice Naylor – Street and Studio, @streetandstudio VIDEOGRAPHER Marcus Rusbourne, @marcusrusbournemedia CONTENT CREATOR, PLANNER & STYLIST Brooke Wedlock – The State Of, @thestateof.studio FLORIST Ashleigh Palmowski – The Naked Florist, @thenakedfloristau ENTERTAINMENT Band – Soulganic, @soulganic_au; Lebanese Drummers – The A Team, @theateam_entertainment; DJ – Robbie Rommers, @robbierommers; Saxophone Player – Juliet Jones, @julietjonesax DRAPERY Maison Paper, @maison.paper CATERING Seafood supplier – Costis Seafood, @costisfreshseafood; Seafood styled by Katering, @katering_; All other food supplied by the Centennial Homestead, @thecentennialhomestead; Gelato Cart supplied by Messina, @gelatomessina CAKE Butterface Cakes, @butterface__cakes STATIONERY & SIGNAGE Xela Studio, @xelastudio BRIDE’S WEDDING BAND Abelini, @abelinijewellery GROOM’S WEDDING BAND Natalie Marie Jewellery, @nataliemariejewellery BRIDE’S PYJAMAS Kat The Label, @kat_thelabel BRIDE’S WEDDING DRESS Custom Made – Lilian Khallouf, @lilliankhallouf BRIDE’S SHOES Mollini, @mollinishoes BRIDE’S ACCESSORIES Earrings – Lindelli, @lindelli MAKEUP Jess Marsden, @jessmarsdenmua HAIR Kristen Wells, @kristenwellshairstylist GROOM’S SUIT Custom Made – P Johnson, @pjohnsonworld GROOM’S SHOES Julius Marlow, @juliusmarlow GROOM’S ACCESSORIES Cufflinks – P Johnson, @pjohnsonworld BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES Bec + Bridge, @becandbridge BRIDESMAIDS SHOES Jo Mercer, @jomercershoes GROOMSMEN’S SUITS Ferrari Formalwear, @ferrari_formalwear_and_bridal
